Spicy Beef and Asparagus

I have no idea why this is called "spicy." There is nothing spicy about it. This tasted...simple? It tasted like the ingredients and that's it. Not bad, just not exciting. Doug and I said we'd have it again, but we added garlic salt at the end for more flavor. Our pressed garlic at the beginning just burned immediately. 

• 1 lb beef top round steak, trimmed
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 12 oz asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 small white onion, cut into small wedges

Freeze the steak until partially firm. Slice the beef against the grain into thin strips. Combine the cornstarch, water, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add the beef and toss to coat. Mix the broth, soy sauce, and ketchup in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Heat a wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot. Add 1 Tbsp of the oil. Add the garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add half the beef mixture. Stir-fry until the beef is brown, removing the beef to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Repeat the browning process with the remaining beef. 

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil to the wok. Stir-fry the asparagus in the hot oil for 2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the red pepper and onion. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Return the beef to the wok. Stir in the broth mixture. Cook until bubbly, stirring constantly. Cook, covered, for 1 minute longer. 

Serves 4

Total Time: 15 minutes, plus freezing

Recipe from The Pampered Chef The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home cookbook